An Easter Countdown is the PERFECT way to celebrate this spring!
Do you ever feel like Easter is the holiday that somehow just gets left in the pollen dust? (haha)
Somewhere between New Year’s Resolutions, Valentine’s dates, and summer break lands what should be the MOST important holiday of the year. And yet, Easter usually comes and goes with little more than a few last-minute baskets of candy and a ham dinner.
For years, I felt a little guilty about this. Of course, we spend Easter Sunday at church, and we certainly make the day about Jesus, but this day is a celebration of the most significant thing in our lives. Surely it deserves at least a tiny bit of the pomp and circumstance we give other holidays (especially Christmas!).
Names of Jesus Easter Countdown
We count down to everything: Christmas, first day of school, time until vacation. An Easter countdown is such a wonderful way to build anticipation, teach God’s truth, and bring the focus of the holiday to the right place every single day as we await that celebration. If done right, it also helps children to fully understand the meaning behind it all.
So I created a simple Easter countdown that not only brought with it anticipation of the most important holiday of our faith but also taught my kids the real meaning behind the holiday to begin with. Why do we celebrate Easter? Because Jesus left His throne in Heaven and lived a sinless life on this earth so He could die in our place.
As we journey to the cross with Christ, I thought it would be appropriate to study the names of Jesus, so we can see how incredible Jesus really is as we anticipate the single most incredible thing ever done for us: death on the cross.
Creating Your Names of Jesus Easter Countdown
The materials are simple. You need the free printable file (linked below), two different colors of cardstock paper, and tape or a stapler. I find that tape doesn’t stick well to glitter paper. Also, if you have bigger sheets of scrapbook paper at home, just cut it down to 8.5×11 size and stick it in your printer.
To put it together, simply print the file on cardstock and cut apart the strips. Alternate your colors if desired. The printable is set up for you to use two different colors easily. If you need a little help, check out the video above for more detailed instructions.
You could make the chain and run it up the staircase railing or on a door frame. We put ours on a basket near the fireplace in the family room. You could even put the strips of paper in a basket and pull one out when you want to spend some time focusing on it with your family.
Each morning, we pull off a new link and then read the verse that goes along with it. But there isn’t a right or wrong time of day to do it. You could read the verse with your family over dinner or have each child read the verse on their own throughout the day. I have my children journal about the name and verse in their journal so they spend a couple of minutes really processing that particular name of Christ.
The countdown lasts 30 days. But don’t worry about getting all 30 in before Easter! If you are getting a late start, you can finish after the official holiday. There is nothing that says you must stop! The point isn’t when you start and stop; the point is to focus on the various names and characteristics of our Lord.
Oh, and you can combine this with our Cross Easter Activities for even more Easter family fun.
Let’s be purposeful in making sure that our families remember the true meaning of Easter, turning their eyes onto Jesus, celebrating the greatest gift of all time!
GET YOUR FREE EASTER COUNTDOWN:
You can download your own copy of the Names of Jesus Easter Countdown by filling out the form below. I pray your Easter is even more meaningful than ever!
Through practical tools & Bible-based resources, Kim Sorgius is dedicated to helping your family GROW in faith so you can be Not Consumed by life’s struggles. Author of popular kid’s devotional Bible studies and practical homeschooling tools, Kim has a master’s degree in education and curriculum design coupled with over 2 decades of experience working with kids and teens. Above all, her most treasured job is mother and homeschool teacher of four amazing kiddos.
Dee says
What an awesome idea, I just love it. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer Ott says
Thank you! We think of you often…every breakfast and lunch, in fact
Kim Sorgius says
Hehe. I love that! So glad you are enjoying the breakfast and lunch stations!
Missy says
Silly question, but you start with day 30 and work backwards to day 1 correct? I love this idea and want to use it in our home. I’ve downloaded it – just waiting to get some colorful card stock to print on! Thanks so much for sharing this with us. 🙂
Kim Sorgius says
I start with day 30 and work backward, yes. No question is a silly question. 🙂 Enjoy the countdown!!
Analee says
Thank you! I love this idea. I have been trying to think of ways get the kids excited about Easter without all the secular traditions. I will definitely do this one. One other thing I came up last year with is my husband and I read the kids the gospel story…we have three eggs (3 representing three days Jesus was in the grave) hidden for each of them. Two have a few pieces of candy then one is empty…the empty one they give to us and they get their Easter basket. Then we go over with them how the grave was empty and what that means for us! The greatest gift comes to us because the grave was empty! Jesus Lives! And so in simple way their bigger gift came to them from an empty egg! We decided to do an Egg hunt with other neighborhood kids in a similar way…sharing first part of gospel, then kids searched for eggs…three eggs were empty…then we read of Jesus ressurection and the kids who had the empty eggs got a prize. We found it to be a good way to share the Gospel with kids and adults!
Thank you for your wonderful idea! I look forward to starting it!
Kim Sorgius says
What a great idea! I love it!
Faye Neufeld says
Hi,
I’m having trouble getting the link for downloading this wonderful freebie! I clicked the link in my subscriber email, plugged in my email on the page but it keeps telling me “invalid email”. Any suggestions? I did check you FAQ but there was not anything on this problem. Thank you.
Blessings,
Faye
Kim Sorgius says
Please email me with more information about the error. kim@notconsumed.com
Katy says
I, too, am having difficulties. I followed all directions and triple-checked everything, but still no e-mail with the link. Thank you again for all of the wonderful freebies and posts!
Kim Sorgius says
I’m so sorry that you are having trouble. Please see our FAQ about freebies and downloads page. I have made a video and detailed help for other issues. If this doesn’t solve your problem, please email me (kim@notconsumed.com) with specific information as to what seems to be the issue. I’ll be happy to try and help you resolve it. Thanks! https://www.notconsumed.com/faq-for-freebies-and-downloads/
sonja says
is Yeshua included? It is His actual name…just wondering.
Kim Sorgius says
No. I’m sorry but that is not included.
H says
Thank you for the awesome idea! I’m printing these out and we’re going to make them with our Kindergarteners this week so they can take them home and do the countdown with their families! What a great way to continue the conversation about Jesus in their homes. (Blessed to work in a Christian school and be able to share about Jesus everyday!)
Jess says
I love this idea and we’ll be implementing it… I would love to see you expand it tho… to help those of us who aren’t sure how to put big Christian topics in easy kids language. Maybe a paragraph to read to them and a few questions to go along with each day… I hope you will be posting about how you’re doing through this journey this Easter. I love to see how different families teach littles about Christ!
Beth says
Hi Kim,
I appreciate your generous freebies. Thank you for being a blessing. I have a quick question. Am I supposed to have to re-subscribe every time you post a new freebie offer? So far that has been the case. If that is the way it is supposed to work I understand, I just presumed a ‘subscription’ meant that I would not have to do so. Thank you in advance for the clarification.
Beth
Kim Sorgius says
You aren’t really resubscribing each time. You just need to enter your email so that the system can check and make sure you are in there. It’s sort of like a password of sorts!
Cindy says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this freebie! What an awesome idea. I can’t wait to use it. On a side note, may I ask, what is the name of the font you used for printable names? I really like it as well and hope to add it to my computer. Again, thank you.
Kim Sorgius says
It’s called FoglihtenNo07.
Starla J says
This is awesome! Thank you!
Naomi Fata says
Great idea! I am alway looking for new ideas to make the holiday more Christ centered
gretchen says
Great idea! Thank you! I’d love it even more if you made it into a 40 day countdown to include all of lent.
Maren says
Greetings from Germany.I am a pastor’s wife with 4 little children and feeling so blessed by your Easter printable. Thanks so much for your inspiring website. The idea with the lightning sticks we used for the space birthday party of our son, 3 days ago . Greetings . Bee blessed
Annette says
Awesome idea. I think I can start today and do 2 a day and then taper off a few days until Easter. I feel as if I’m failing as a homeschool mom and as a Christian. Your site has given me some encouragement. Thank you.
Nancy says
I can’t wait to do this. Thank you
Stephanie says
Thank you for this neat idea! I am having trouble printing it, though. The words scramble on top of each other when it prints out. Any idea why this would be happening? It is such a great idea to have to do with my kiddos. Just wish I could get it to print out right! Thanks!!
Stephanie says
Got it…Just had to print from download, not as a PDF… it works now!! 🙂
Suzanne says
Hi Stephanie,
I’m sorry for your trouble! If you open and print using Adobe Reader you shouldn’t have this issue.
Please email us at joy@notconsumed.com if you are still having trouble!
Suzanne@NotConsumed
Jaclyn says
Love this idea and getting everything ready to do this with my boys ❤️
Brianna Humblerack says
Thanks for the Names of Jesus downloadable–Very useful!
Carla says
I love the Easter countdown, but since our kids are all grown and we are empty nesters, I’ve decided to use the papers in a different way. I’m going to have a pizza party before Easter for our church which is very small. I’m going to use the papers and put them in plastic eggs in a basket. Nice Centerpiece! We will take time to have people take an egg and read what’s on their paper.
Happy Resurrection Sunday to you!
Mik says
I appreciate the time you’ve saved me by making this available. It will be a meaningful and fun way to look forward to Easter (for the right reasons.) My kids really enjoy advents and other count downs so, it a great reminder for the kids to see; which will motivate me to actually do something everyday leading up to Easter. Simple, easy and powerful. Thank you!
Kaylee says
Thank you for sharing!